If anyone knows a thing or two about overcoming adversity and being hated, it’s Mike Tyson. Iron Mike came from nothing to become one of the greatest fighters to ever live. He also bit a man’s ear off and was one of the most disrespectful athletes of his generation. For those reasons and more, it comes as no surprise that Tyson sympathizes with Lance Armstrong.
During an appearance on WLNY-TV’s The Couch Tuesday morning, Tyson had nothing but nice things to say about the disgraced cyclist.
“He is an awesome human being,” the former heavyweight champ said, via CBS New York. “We’re all human beings, we’re all going to make mistakes. We’re not perfect, and neither is Lance.”
Despite the fact that Armstrong recently admitted to cheating during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Tyson would not label him a “cheater.” Instead, he urged Armstrong’s friends to support him during this difficult time and help him fight through it.
“I think that people that are his friends should still be his friends,” Iron Mike said. “He’s going to get bashed for awhile, so if you’re truly his friend, try to help him absorb the blows. He’s gonna come out, he’s gonna stay strong, and he’s going to get over this.”
We know one tennis star who couldn’t possibly disagree more, and the same can be said for most people. That’s very nice of Tyson to be so empathetic, but Armstrong is not a victim. He brought all of this on himself, and he destroyed the lives of other people in the process. Not only did he cheat, but he bullied others into doing the same and threatened people into keeping quiet about it. Sorry, Mike. I enjoyed your appearance in the first “Hangover” movie, but you’re way off on this one.
Here is Tyson’s full interview:
